News

The Great American Eclipse at UCLA

Posted on Aug. 14, 2017

For a report of the eclipse viewing event, please see this story on our web site. The event planning page is preserved below.

Be sure to join us on 21 August 2017 from 9:30AM to 11:30AM for ‘The Great UCLA Eclipse’ at UCLA’s Court of Sciences. Weather permitting, a partial solar eclipse will be visible at UCLA!

In addition to solar telescopes and projection telescopes, a special screen with a projected image of the eclipse will enable participants to take "eclipse selfies" to share on social media. The public can ask scientists questions about solar system science and astronomy. A limited number of eclipse glasses will be given out. The event will be streamed live on the UCLA Facebook page, with EPSS professors answering questions from viewers. Viewers are invited to post on social media using the hashtag #UCLAeclipse.

Although Los Angeles residents will not experience a total solar eclipse, a sizeable fraction of the solar disk will be obscured by the Moon. By 9:30 a.m. PDT, the Moon will have taken a visible bite out of the Sun. At the event's maximum (10:20 a.m. PDT), about 60% of the solar disk will be obscured. The eclipse will be visible only if clouds do not obstruct the view.

Maximum Eclipse at 10:21:10 am – Moon is closest to the center of the Sun

Partial Eclipse ends at 11:44:44 am – Moon leaves the Sun's edge

Click here or here for information on how and where to park on campus.

UCLA has a long history of leading or participating in NASA missions that explore the solar system and our connection to the universe. EPSS scientists study the Sun with NASA spacecraft such as the Solar Dynamic Observatory and the upcoming Parker Solar Probe launching summer 2018.

The event is co-sponsored by the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences (EPSS) and the Institute for Planets and Exoplanets (iPLEX), along with Astro Live!, and OSA/SPIE – two student groups affiliated with the Physics & Astronomy and Engineering departments, respectively.